Independent to seek 49th District House seat

GOSHEN -- An independent candidate will likely appear on November's ballot for the 49th District seat in the Indiana House. Vince Turner, client relationship manager at Mutual Federal Savings Bank since last year, turned in 800 signatures to Elkhart County voting officials. Some 317 are required to gain ballot access. Prior to his job now, Turner was vice president of development for Bashor Children's Home for nine years, and a sports reporter for the Truth newspaper and radio station WTRC for a combined 21 years. He is running as an independent against Republican Wes Culver, who upset incumbent Rep. John Ulmer, R-Goshen, in the May 6 primary. "I thought the primary campaign got overly personal," Turner said. He lists changing "the tone of campaigning" as his No. 1 priority. There were negative parts of the primary campaign, but none of them can be blamed on Culver, who wants to run a clean campaign, Elkhart County GOP Chairman Dale Stickel said. "There are people who supported him who did some negative things, but Wes Culver himself did not condone these things and did not finance these things," Stickel said. Culver said Turner's candidacy will change little about his own campaign, and that Turner's statement on an "overly personal" primary campaign is disappointing. "Vince is building his campaign on negative campaigning. He's the one attacking me," Culver said. "My primary (campaign) always talked about records and issues, all while holding my opponent in high regard." If elected, Turner would seek to prevent 1, 2, and 3 percent property tax caps from becoming a constitutional amendment -- a move, he says, will "severely handcuff" local government. Local government leaders from both parties have warned the property tax cuts will mean huge cuts in city budgets. "I think they've got valid points that we ought to listen to," Turner said. And he hopes to see an Ivy Tech location built on the east side of Elkhart, near County Road 17. And while Turner's campaign is a "major distraction to the party and what we're trying to accomplish," Culver has a lot of momentum, Stickel said. "(Turner) does have a lot of name recognition in Elkhart County, but I think Wes Culver certainly showed a decisive campaign and win in the primary," Stickel said. "It'll be interesting." Staff writer Ed Ronco: eronco@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6353